Data and senses
by Maria - Madoka Ayukawa
Summary: Inui thinks he'll never have all the data about Yanagi, since he always comes up with something new... InuixRenji slash, Kirihara and Kaidoh friendly. ONESHOT.


"Data and Senses".  
A Prince of Tennis fic by Maria. 

Pairing/Characters: Data Pair (Sadaharu Inui x Renji Yanagi). Allusions to Choutarou Ohtori, Kaoru Kaidoh and Akaya Kirihara.  
Rating: PG-13 for boy love. Lightly limish at the end.  
Disclaimer/claimer (if needed): Konomi-san says it's his. So I kinda say "Konomi-san, can I borrow it with credits to you? PRETTY PLEASE?".  
Summary (if needed): Inui thinks he'll never gethave the data about Yanagi.

---

Data. According to Sadaharu Inui's old dictionary (the same one he had used since elementary school years), it's defined as _"information output by a sensing device or organ that includes both useful and irrelevant or redundant information and must be processed to be meaningful"._

Actually, as a member of his university's tennis club, he agrees. His own style involves data, info gathering, processing it to give it his own touch and interpretation, and then use it in either his team's or his own benefit.

However, nobody ever said that he couldn't apply the data gathering techniques to other areas in his life. Like, using his five senses to observe the persons in his surroundings, interprete that information, and see how it suits him...

This is specially true when it comes to observe his roomate, teammate, and ocassional doubles partner: Renji Yanagi. Both men are quite the enigma to many of their peers, males and females, and whenever they're studying in the uni library, helping their younger students with either their school subjects or their tennis techniques, or just hanging around together... some would look at them weirdly and even be scared of the fact that they were so in synch. Apparently, they were like two perfectly synchronized clocks, functioning in a perfect rhythm...

But Inui isn't exactly sure about that. Even without fully noticing it, Renji Yanagi always comes up with something new and different. Something very much personalized... so Renji-ish, like Yukimura would say.

And it takes all of his senses to find out what he will do next...

---

_Taste_

"Inui-sempai", and Kaidoh makes a face when he's done drinking the content of his glass. "This sucks".

"You're so direct, Kaidoh. Even more than you were in Seigaku", is the reply. "Do I have to tell you again how the benefitial effects will compensate the fact that it tastes... special?".

"I know, sempai, I know". The other man rolls his eyes. "But to me, it still tastes like crap".

Inui feels like rolling his eyes. Kaoru Kaidoh was the closest to a best friend and partner that he had during Seigaku times, and he is still a good friend. But years after that... it's clear that he ain't the most forgiving person in the world. Inui could get practically everyone else to either drink or eat something brewed or cooked by him (because YES, Sadaharu Inui can come up with edible or drinkable stuff), but Kaidoh'd never be convinced... and now, he would say it in his very face.

Kaidoh leaves the glass on the table he's sitting next to. Renji, who is sitting next to him, takes it without hesitation and takes a sip from it. The other men glare at him in shock, and Renji stares at both of them calmly.

"I think it's fine".

"Yanagi-san...", and Kaidoh looks at Renji as if he had grown another head. "... You say it's WHAT?".

"I say, Kaidoh-kun, that it's fine". The way he smiles say a lot about how the whole deal amuses him. Before Kaidoh has a chance to reply, he quickly speaks again. "I've been the test subject for Sadaharu's cooking from before you even met him, and I'm still alive. Do you think I'd try to trick you or anything?".

Kaidoh still isn't convinced, but he knows he has no way to counter for now. So, after talking with his friends for a while, he leaves their apartment... with a bottle of the newest version of Inui's juice in his backpack.

Yanagi watches the younger man go, still smiling. Meanwhile, Inui takes the glass and places it on a tray.

"Did you necessarily have to drink from Kaidoh's same glass, Renji?".

"Kinda", the other man replies, smirking. "There was a 78 chance that you'd think I was indirectly kissing Kaidoh-kun, Sadaharu. And I was right, it seems".

That sweet tone has lots of hidden meanings. As evidenced by the light blush on Inui's face, he was able to catch them all.

When he comes back from the kitchen after leaving the tray there, Renji playfully smiles and brushes his lips against Inui's.

"How does it taste now?".

And Inui doesn't hesitate to reply. "Much better than it originally did".

---

_Smell_

"Cedar cologne, Renji?".

"You don't like it?"

"I never said so".

"Then why the question?".

"I was just... surprised that you'd use it so soon".

"How so, Sadaharu?"

"There was just 10 chance you'd use it before you ran out of the citric one".

"Sadaharu, I think you speak like that since you're jealous...".

"... I'm what, Renji?"

"... Since the cedar cologne I'm using now is Akaya's birthday present for me".

"I can't even wonder why you're doing so?".

"You can. But try not to do it when you're blushing. Your jealous side is showing, you see".

"Renji...".

Yanagi looks just too pleased with himself as he pours some bits of cedar cologne on his skin. More exactly, on the side of his neck.

"I like to smell of cedar. It's a nice woody scent that reminds me of trees, and makes me feel good...".

Inui makes a mental note to self. Get a cedar cologne of your own, Sadaharu. You both will smell similar, then.

---

_Hearing_

Inui awakens from a short nap (damn all-nighter he had to pull off - even when he got the project done) to the sound of classical music. More exactly, a soothing melody played by a violin, accompained by the almost-obligatory piano.

"Boccherini", he murmurs before he gets up from the bed and goes to the living room. And Renji is there, lying on the couch (their couch), eyes closed (as always, according to some), with a literature textbook on his lap.

Inui gets closer to the other man, thinking he's asleep. But he suddenly stops and stares at his face. He notices how his eyelids move slightly, kinda like following the rhythm of the music.

"So, you're not asleep...".

He takes a look at a CD plastic box lying on the near table, then takes it in his hands. And sees that the cover features a smiling young man around Kaidoh's age, with very light blond hair and a silver cross hanging from his neck.

"Ohtori Choutarou", he murmurs. "You've certainly grown and changed since the time I and Kaidoh played against you and Shishido...".

The Boccherini Minuet finishes, and is almost immediately followed by a sort of ballad. The violin and piano music are now accompained by a sweet female voice, serenely singing about loneliness, sadness, and the sea...

Inui sits on a smaller couch, and listens to the bittersweet song played by Ohtori and the other performers. Who's the singer, anyway? Her surname is Kashima... no, Makishima... ah, Kuwashima. One of Renji's favorite singers, and he has a good reason to like her. Because this song, along with Ohtori's violin performance that serves as a back-up, is making him feel relaxed and peaceful right now.

He leans towards the other man, extends a hand and lightly touches his cheek. And since Renji doesn't even flinch (is he really that concentrated, or is he sleeping in the end?), he decides to lie back and enjoy the music.

---

_ Sight_

The eyes are the windows to the soul, people say.

When it comes to both Sadaharu Inui and Renji Yanagi, it's very ironic. Both men have never been up to show their eyes to others. Inui shields his eyes from the ones surrounding him with his thick glasses; Yanagi keeps his own practically closed.

However, to the surprise of their friends and relatives, there are few people more observant than them. That's their strength: to see, to catch upon details, to process it through their observations and data techniques. And to get such a deep insight into what lurks beneath everything, sight is vital.

"Kirihara, you're putting too much strain on your left leg".

"How do you know so?".

"By looking at your ankle and the position of your body. Try relaxing a little".

"But I have a very important game! Can't help being stressed, Inui-san!".

"Do as I tell you. Trust me. Try relaxing and you'll be fine. And I don't want Renji later barking at us two because you're not doing so well".

"How come you're so worried?".

"It's both for you and Renji. He helps me with Kaidoh, I'm helping him with you. And stop whining already".

"Well, Yanagi-sempai was the one who invented the Data Tennis, after all".

"And I was the one who made it even better, Kirihara. Now, do as I tell you".

Kirihara looks at his mentor's partner and best friend, and he catches a glimpse of the green eyes hiding behind the glasses. He's reminded of the way Yanagi looks at him when he's displeased or annoyed...

"... Whatever".

So, Kirihara finally complies to Inui's request and tries to put less strain on himself as he trains under his instructions. And the older man is pleased by how the usually rebellius teen obeys him - and even more so, because he knows that Yanagi is staring at them from a nearby window.

"Seems I can't hide anything from you, Renji", he thinks, and chuckles.

---

_Touch_

Renji Yanagi has beautiful hands, in Inui's opinion. Not because they're delicate, or femenine, or anything by those lines. Long and slender fingers, firm knuckles, lightly callused fingertips, very short fingernails...

And Renji's hands have just taken Inui's glasses off, to carefully place them on the nearby drawer.

But touching doesn't only rely on the hands. Actually, the sense of touch (the one that requires the most direct exposition to the stimuli of any kind) is related to the skin, more than just the hands. The skin, the "largest organ in the human body" as the dictionaries call it, covers practically the whole body - at least in the case of the humans.

Renji's skin feels dry and callused, and there are several scars on certain parts. Like the one on his left thigh, caused by a home accident when he was a kid. Or a more recent one on his belly, left after the appendicectomy he went through less than a year ago...

When they're both comfortable enough, Inui loves to touch Renji, and it's even better when the other man not only lets him do so, but also touches back. Just like in the present moment, when they're sitting on their bed, still breathless after sharing a long kiss.

"Just like I suspected", Inui murmurs, his hand softly caressing Yanagi's chest through his shirt. "You're incredibly sensitive in both mind and body. What else can I expect from a Japanese literature major like you, Yanagi-kyoujyou?".

Inui's thumbs tease the other man's nipple, and Renji supresses a moan.

"Inui-hakase", he replies, "you're unusually slow...".

"Why do you say so?", Inui asks, pretending not to get it. But he knows he'll never fool the person who knows him more than anyone in the world.

Renji places his hand over Inui's and leans closer. "If you want to know how physically sensitive I am, Sadaharu...", and his voice lowers to a whisper, "stop the theories, and let's get to the practice".

Renji's breath feels warm against the skin of Inui's neck. He's briefly reminded of the fixation the Japanese people have with that part of their bodies, which is to them an extremely important erogene point...

Renji's lips kiss the side of his neck tenderly, and Inui can't resist anymore.

"As you wish, Renji", he whispers huskily, pulling the other man even closer. "Let's see if we can come together again...".

And the distance is fully closed when Inui places another long, deep kiss on Renji's mouth.

---

Data bits on their own may have no special meaning, just qualifying as facts and info. Only when you put two and two together and see how everything is connected... only then, you can think of it as more, and see what kind of benefit it can bring.

Inui knows it too well. Yanagi, his partner and lover, always has something related to data under his sleeve. Be it small or big, be it new or old... he'll never stop finding patterns in and between Yanagi's new and old data, allowing him to update his opinion of him in a daily basis.

And now, as Yanagi peacefully sleeps next to him, Inui closes his eyes and smiles to himself.

"I hope I never get overloaded with info about you, Renji...", he thinks before drifiting to sleep. "Because I'll always want to use my senses to find out something great related to your whole self".


End file.
